Newsroom

The massive Swan Street Bridge widening project has inexplicably failed to fix the sub-standard underpasses at the Yarra River.

The inadequacy of the underpasses on both sides of the river have been long recognised as hazardous, subject-to-flooding pinch-points on one of the nation’s busiest bike routes.

Now, as the bridge widening nears completion, the underpasses are being re-instated at the same sub-standard width. And clearances appear even worse than before.

There was no design, engineering or hydrology impediment to fixing this problem.

The contractor had assessed the path widening as feasible and Melbourne Water had no objection to the solution.

How could this happen under an administration where all modes are required to be considered in transport projects?

From the outset, Bicycle Network reminded the project team that the opportunity to address the underpass issue must not be passed up.

The width problem, where the lanes pass under the bridge, was officially documented and listed for resolution long before the bridge widening project arrived.

Paradoxically, the width problem of the car bridge above was not: it was not on any public priority list for a fix until the then opposition dreamed up the project as an “election commitment” prior to the last state election.

Now, the real problem is not fixed and the invented problem is fixed.

Are the government and VicRoads going to take responsibility for this bungle?

What is their plan for bringing this strategic bicycle route up to their own published standards now that the works are not to be delivered as part of the bridge project?